The original Gamevice was born as a sort of offshoot of the weird Wikipad gaming tablet/controller/hybrid thing way back in 2014. Interestingly, the first Gamevice controller for iOS only supported the iPad mini and launched in 2015, with versions for the iPhone and larger iPad models being revealed later that same year. Overall the Gamevice line of controllers has been noteworthy for being among the few that connected directly to a device’s Lightning port rather than over Bluetooth, and it seems like it has become a popular option over the years for those wanting a controller for their iOS device that connected directly and cradled the device in the middle of the controller like a Nintendo Switch. Of course a controller that cradles a device in that way could become problematic should the size or shape of a new model of iOS device not fit within the controller’s parameters anymore, or if you happen to prefer using a particular case on your device that prevents it from fitting within a controller. These are problems Gamevice is hoping to fix with its newly-announced Gamevice Flex. Check it out.
Now, I am one of those weirdos who prefers not to use a case at all, so something like this has never really been an issue for me before. However, I know plenty of people who would absolutely refuse to go caseless with their very expensive smart device, and the act of having to pop a case off and on just to use something like a gaming controller can be enough of an annoyance to not bother with using a controller at all. So the objective of the Gamevice Flex seems like a noble one. If you’re a habitual case user and don’t want to fuss around to load your cased device into a controller, this might be the dream come true you’ve been looking for. There are versions for both iOS and Android and you can pre-order them starting today on the Gamevice website. The USB-C Android version retails for $99.95 and ships in October, with the iOS version being ten bucks more at $109.95, presumably due to having to be MFi certified, and that one ships in September. We’ll be eager to go hands on with the new Gamevice Flex as soon as we can to see how it stacks up in the world of mobile gaming controllers.
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